2013 Saints - Free Agency Targets

this is a discussion within the Saints Community Forum; Worth a look?
Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Lions. Age: 26.
Sammie Lee Hill could start for some teams, as he does a decent job of pressuring the quarterback. He just hasn't had much of a chance in Detroit because he's ...

Worth a look?
Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Lions. Age: 26.
Sammie Lee Hill could start for some teams, as he does a decent job of pressuring the quarterback. He just hasn't had much of a chance in Detroit because he's been behind Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Corey Williams on the depth chart.

Jason Jones, DT, Seahawks. Age: 27.
Jason Jones is a quality interior pass-rusher who was lost late in the year to a knee injury.

Randy Starks, DT, Dolphins. Age: 29.
Randy Starks is a talented interior pass-rusher. He struggled a bit down the stretch, but that could have been the result of personal issues he dealt with late in the year.

Roy Miller, DT, Buccaneers. Age: 26.
Roy Miller doesn't offer anything as a pass-rusher, but he's a primary reason why the Buccaneers had one of the league's top run defenses in 2012.

Arthur Jones (RFA), DE/DT, Ravens. Age: 27.
Arthur Jones broke into the starting lineup in the middle of the season and performed well, stopping the run effectively and getting to the quarterback on occasion.

Steve McLendon (RFA), NT, Steelers. Age: 27.
Steve McClendon looks like a solid replacement for Casey Hampton. He performed well in the playoffs against the Broncos in January 2012, and that carried over into this season when he saw the field briefly.

Ropati Pitoitua (RFA), DE/DT, Chiefs. Age: 28.
Ropati Pitoitua has served as a solid rotational defensive lineman for the Chiefs. He's solid in run support and tallied two sacks in a game against the Chargers.

Terrance Knighton, NT, Jaguars. Age: 27.
It's rare to see a 330-pound nose tackle struggle in run support, but that's why Terrance Knighton was benched in favor of C.J. Mosley back in October. He still played an ample amount though.

Alan Branch, DT, Seahawks. Age: 28.
Alan Branch is sort of a jack-of-all-trades defensive tackle. He has no glaring weaknesses and is at his best when stopping the run.

Ricky Jean-Francois, DE/DT, 49ers. Age: 26.
Ricky Jean-Francois handled himself well when inserted into the lineup in the wake of Justin Smith's injury. He's not much of a pass-rusher, but he contained the run well.

Connor Barwin, DE/OLB, Texans. Age: 26.
Connor Barwin is coming off a very disappointing 2012 campaign. After registering 11.5 sacks in 2011, he managed just three this past season. He's talented, so there's a good chance this was just a fluky year.

Thomas Howard, OLB, Bengals. Age: 30.
Thomas Howard missed all but one game in 2012 with a torn ACL. It was impressive that Cincinnati's defense still played well despite missing such a solid linebacker.

Manny Lawson, OLB, Bengals. Age: 29.
The Bengals asked Manny Lawson to rush the passer and stop the run, and he did that very well. He's not good in coverage, however.

Glover Quin, S, Texans. Age: 27.
A converted cornerback, Glover Quin has starred in his new safety role over the past couple of years. He was particularly sound in 2012, so he deserves a nice contract.

Danario Alexander (RFA), WR, Chargers. Age: 25.
Danario Alexander exploded after signing with the Chargers in the middle of the season, catching 36 balls for 624 yards and six touchdowns in nine games. He has tons of potential, but he is also a big risk because of his extensive injury history.

"I don't think I'll be thinking at all. I think I'm just gonna go out there and play my balls out" - Martez Wilson | "I'm not bashing people, I'm bashing their opinions because in my opinion their opinion is wrong" - Danno

Worth a look?
Sammie Lee Hill, DT, Lions. Age: 26.
Sammie Lee Hill could start for some teams, as he does a decent job of pressuring the quarterback. He just hasn't had much of a chance in Detroit because he's been behind Ndamukong Suh, Nick Fairley and Corey Williams on the depth chart.

Excellent observation, let me give you my personal thoughts on Sammie Hill, after a season of focusing on that defensive line to debunk the "Ndamukong Suh double-teamed on every play" myth.

Rotated in/out, he's frequently paired with Nick Fairly and was very effective this season, IMO, much more than the season before. He drew frequent double teams, and at one point in the season, I started to think teams were more focused on blocking Hill than Suh. Seriously. You can argue he benefits from playing next to Fairley & Suh, but I honestly think it may be the other way around.

He's the kind of player New Orleans could coach up to his full potential & has no character or drug/alchohol/driving issues.

Because that wouldn't be holding to the status quo of mediocrity they've committed to maintaining during the SuperBowl era. They even gave him an extension, . I can't take it anymore, they're killing me.